Chapter 3: The Bird
400 years later...
The morning was crispier than it it had been in a long time, which told her that summer was over and autumn was right around the corner. As she gazed upwards towards the trees, she could see tiny flecks of red and orange beginning to show in the green leaves, and a forceful russell could be heard from the trees, as the wind blew through the branches. She leaned back against the thick trunk and drew her knees up against her body, wrapping her arms around them as to protect herself from the cold. She gazed out towards the river, which ran down calmly from the mountains in front of her and she sighed heavily. Winter was on its way to her home, but it had already reached and taken her heart in it's cold and deserted grasp.
***
It had all began with a letter. A letter from the Woodland king which had brought sorrow and uncertainty into their days of joy and stability. She recalled the look on Legolas' face when he had received the letter and read in his father's familiar handwriting:
Legolas
I can understand why you wanted to get away and I do agree it is important for you to get to know your country and yourself. But you never got the permission to leave for good and you have stayed away for far longer than I granted you. Now it's time for you to return to your realm and take on your duties as the prince of your people. I'll expect you to return in a fortnight.
King Thranduil
As expected, Legolas had not taken it with ease. "There is no way I will let him drag me away from you. I belong here! I will give up my crown if he forces me to leave you", he had yelled in rage. Valaina had tried to calm him down, telling him he should ask his father, whether he would welcome her into his kingdom, should Legolas take her with him, before making hasty decisions. She told him it would be extremely disrespectful towards the king if he would give up his right to rule. Due to her outburst he had eventually obeyed and written back to him.
Dear Father
I understand and respect your wish, however, I find myself in a situation where I can't straight away obey your command. I have made a home here in the forest of Brethil and I have found my companion in life. She means everything to me and I refuse to leave her in this forest when we belong together. But I don't want to disrespect you and I want to carry out my duties as planned. That is why I wish you will let me take her with me to our kingdom. I know she would be the most welcome and when the time comes and I inherit the Throne, I will be most happy to wed her and make her my queen.
Sincerely,
Legolas
Valaina had understood from Legolas' words that his father was stern and proud, but she was sure he would never stand in the way of his sons happiness. She didn't see a reason why the king wouldn't grant his son permission to bring her with him. And she had been ready to leave. Sure she would miss her forest, all their adventures, secret hideaways and rides along the river banks, but she knew her lover had a responsibility. A responsibility that had been placed on his shoulders ever since the day his was born. And he had already run from that responsibility for dozens of years for her sake and she knew, she couldn't live with herself if she wouldn't do any sacrifices for him. So Valaina had been prepared to say goodbye to the forest and begin a new life in her lover's kingdom, but the dream of that future had crumbled to dust with the king's response.
Legolas
With a heavy heart I must forbid you to bring this girl with you, no matter how miraculous she may seem. Our kingdom will be yours to rule one day and I want you to put your focus into your duties, not into some girl from the woods. I won't accept any foreigners into this kingdom and neither should you. When the time comes, you will marry a suitable lady from our own people, it is what I expect from you. The world is changing, Legolas, and you need to understand that your carefree days are now over. You'll have three days to say goodbye to the girl and then I'll expect you to return. That is my final word.
King Thranduil
Three days. The king had given them three days and after that, Legolas would be gone forever and she might never see him again. He would go on to rule his kingdom and marry some beautiful, noble lady while she would end up, where? She didn't have the slightest clue what would happen to her. Would she continue living in the forest with nothing but her horses and be forced to pretend that the time with him had been just a very long and unbelievable dream? She had been so ready to give up her life in the forest to be with him, that the idea of staying there now and return to her old life, felt absolutely repulsive.
That night, Valaina had mostly weeped. Legolas had done his best to comfort her, but she could hear in the heaviness of his voice that he was just as close to breaking point as she was. He had tried to assure her that he would find a way to come back to her, to argue with his father and ultimately turn his head around, but Valaina's desperation had gotten the better of her and ultimately she had pulled Legolas with her into that void of darkness. They both knew, the word of a king was law and there was no reasoning with his command.
During their final two days together, they had done nothing but laid together side by side in their little shelter up in the branches. Hours had passed without them saying a word, but just the feeling of their bodies pressed together and their limbs wrapped around the other had been enough to break her heart, completed with the knowledge that she wouldn't be feeling him anymore. There were times when he'd whisper his eternal love for her into her ear and she'd respond with a faint smile, before the air around and between them would grow silent once more.
Then came the night he had to bid her farewell. Valaina hadn't wanted to wake up to that day so she didn't climb down from their shelter before the hour he had to leave. They stood under the giant tree and for a while they did nothing but look into each other's eyes. Blue eyes, which were full of sadness and pain. She held her breath to stop her tears from falling as Legolas leaned in and grasped her face between his hands.
"I swear, my sweetest one", he had begun. "I swear to you with my heart and soul that this won't be the end of us".
"How can this not be?", she asked, her voice shaking from the pain. "You're leaving me and we can't know if we'll ever see each other again. Your father won't change his mind".
"You may think I can't stand against the king's word but he is also my father", he said with determination. "I'll return to him and reason with him face to face".
"But he clearly thinks I'm just a waste of space", she said desperately. "Now that he knows you have fallen for me, a girl from the wild, he probably wants to marry you off to someone suitable the moment you step back across the border".
"I don't care what he thinks, he doesn't know you", he said, grasping her tighter. "He may think he's doing his kingdom a favor by keeping you at a distance, but he doesn't know what his denying the realm with his actions. You would be the kind of queen our land needs. Good, gentle, strong and embodying all the knowledge of the deepest secrets of nature. My father is bringing the kingdom down by thinking of marrying me off to some noble lady. And yes, I say 'thinking of' because there is no way I will let him marry me to someone else. You are my destiny, Valaina, and I will not rest until you are back in my arms".
She couldn't hold back her tears anymore but broke down in violent sobs as Legolas pulled her into his arms, embracing her closely and tightly as if she were a source of heat to warm his freezing body. He stroke a hand over her hair as she pressed her face into his shoulder and let her tears free.
Never in her life had she imagined it would be possible to feel this way about someone. How a single look or touch could send your heart galloping across the lands and seas. How their kiss made a wave of heat and pleasure surge through your body with the force of a sweeping tornado. And how, when you were forced to go your separate ways, your heart would break down into a million little pieces and pierce your soul with the sharpness of a thousand swords, making you just ache and ache and ache, until you finally hit the bottom of the pain, where there was nothing but darkness, despair and destruction.